One Chicago had the unenviable task of weaving over 20 characters into a single storyline that did justice to all of them. It seems tricky, especially given the three hour constraints, but the writers did just that. The crossover was an unabashed success.
Most everyone got a chance to shine over the court of the three-part event, but naturally, some of them shined brighter than others. As a result, we decided to cherry pick the characters we felt were the most thrilling to watch, and did the most in the face of absolute chaos. Here are our One Chicago MVPs! Spoilers ahead.
Dr. Dean Archer (Chicago Med)
Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) wasn't directly involved in the story beats of the show, but he proved to be the crossover's Swiss army knife. He seemed to be everywhere, providing solutions to difficult problems and saving lives.
We saw Archer amputate a man's legs while his peers looked on in horror. His past as a military doctor no doubt helped him in this harrowing instance. The doctor also proved invaluable in aiding Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) over the phone when a passenger on a trapped subway train fell ill. The Chicago Med veteran really maximized his screen time.
Adam Ruzek (Chicago PD)
Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) was trapped alongside Kidd in the subway car, and he had to juggle three different things: he had to keep a level head despite his own life being in danger, he had to make sure the civilians with him were safe, and he had to determine if one of the civilians was the culprit responsible for pulling a gun on him earlier in the crossover.
Those are not easy asks, and yet, Ruzek managed to pull them all off. Granted, he was a little more suspicious than usual, but extreme circumstances sometimes call for extreme reactions. He did what he needed to do, and he got back to Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and their daughter in time to have dinner. Just like he promised.
Dr. Caitlin Lenox (Chicago Med)
An unexpected choice, perhaps, but a sneaky important once. Dr. Caitlin Lenox (Sarah Ramos) was tasked with not only treating the injured Trudy Platt (Amy Morton), but a woman who was suspected to be the mastermind behind the whole building explosion. Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) tried to ask the woman questions, but Lenox stuck by her guns and told the officer he could not jeopardize her health.
It was a controversial choice, one that led Burgess to threaten Lenox, but the doctor help strong. She also fed Burgess a crucial piece of information about the patient afterward, so that they would go on and solve the case. Did we mention she helped save Platt? Big wins for Lenox all around.
Chief Dom Pascal (Chicago Fire)
Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) is still getting his feet wet as Firehouse 51 Chief, but we have to say, he did a good job navigating all the difficulties of the crossover. He made some tough decisions, and he even tried to be a mentor to chief-in-training Herrmann (Christopher Herrmann) along the way.
Pascal proved that he had the gumption to handle some very dire circumstances, and it's telling that the crossover ended with him and Voight shaking hands and acknowledging the good work they both did. Winning Voight's respect is no easy feat.
Who were your One Chicago MVPs during the crossover?